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Geopolitics

US lifts sanctions on Venezuela's top legislator Jorge Rodriguez

Treasury delists National Assembly president as Washington deepens engagement with interim government

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
The United States Treasury has removed sanctions on Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela's National Assembly and brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, in a move that follows major US-Venezuela energy pacts and signals Washington's growing diplomatic recognition of the interim government.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) posted the delisting notice on Wednesday, officially removing Jorge Rodriguez from its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) blacklist.

Jorge Rodriguez has served as president of the National Assembly since 2021 and was reappointed in January, weeks after the abduction of former President Nicolas Maduro by the US government. He previously served as vice president under Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez. Both Jorge and Delcy Rodriguez were sanctioned under former US President Donald Trump's first administration over their ministerial roles under Maduro, who now faces multiple federal charges, including a sweeping superseding indictment adding torture to his alleged crimes.

The US State Department said in 2018 that Jorge Rodriguez was given prominent government positions by Maduro to help him maintain power and solidify his authoritarian rule.

A source familiar with the matter told Al Jazeera that the decision to lift sanctions on Jorge Rodriguez is part of Washington's wider diplomatic recognition of the interim Venezuelan government and Trump's three-phase plan for Venezuela's stabilisation and political transition.

At a State Department press briefing on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the next round of negotiations on Venezuela's future was scheduled to begin on Wednesday. He also urged all Venezuelan opposition factions to join US-backed political talks with the interim president.

Earlier this year, the US Treasury removed sanctions on interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Jorge Rodriguez's sister.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The delisting removes legal and financial barriers for a senior Venezuelan official, deepening US engagement with the interim government at a time when the former president, Nicolas Maduro, faces US federal charges including torture.
  • The decision is part of a broader US strategy that has included major energy pacts with Venezuela, signalling that economic cooperation is being prioritised alongside political transition.
  • Washington is pressing opposition factions to join US-backed talks, meaning the success of the transition plan depends partly on whether those factions accept the interim government's leadership.

Background

Venezuela has been under sweeping US sanctions for years, originally justified as a way to pressure the government of Nicolas Maduro, which Washington and many other countries accused of authoritarian rule and undermining democracy. The political landscape shifted dramatically in recent months with Maduro's abduction by US authorities and the emergence of an interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez. The US has since moved to recalibrate its Venezuela policy, using a combination of sanctions relief, energy deals and negotiation to steer the country toward a political transition.

Key Perspectives

US administration: The delisting is framed as a practical step toward recognising the interim government and advancing a three-phase stabilisation plan, with negotiations continuing and Rubio publicly urging opposition unity. Interim Venezuelan government: The Rodriguez family is central to the interim administration, and the removal of sanctions on its leaders strengthens its ability to govern and negotiate. Critics and opposition factions: The move comes despite past State Department characterisations of Jorge Rodriguez as a figure used to solidify authoritarian rule, and while Maduro faces torture charges. Some opposition groups may see sanctions relief for a Maduro-era minister as premature or as an endorsement of the current interim leadership they do not share.

What to Watch

  • Whether the next round of negotiations, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, produces concrete outcomes or timelines for elections.
  • Whether opposition factions accept Rubio's call to join the US-backed talks or publicly refuse.
  • Whether further sanctions relief follows, particularly for other figures tied to Maduro's government or for Venezuela's state-owned energy sector.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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